AN HONORARY life vice-president of the Oxfordshire Bowling Association has died aged 91.

Fred Honey damaged his back after a fall at his home in Yarnton and spent the last four months of his life at Witney Community Hospital.

Born at home in Church Street, South Oxford, in 1922, Mr Honey was one of six children – two boys and four girls.

He was educated at South Oxford School, leaving at the age of 14 to start an apprenticeship as an electrician at Silvers, on St Aldate’s, Oxford.

He joined the RAF in 1941, going on to serve as a corporal in radar surveillance in Burma and India during the Second World War.

On returning to Oxford in 1945, he met his first wife, Margaret Honey, née Carter. They married in 1950 and their son Stephen was born five years later. He became a police officer.

Mr Honey went on to work for Stan Rising, a TV and electrical shop in Summertown, and then as an Oxford University principal electrical technician at the Department of Agriculture on Parks Road, Oxford.

In the evenings, he worked at his wife’s parents’ ice cream factory on Lincoln Road in South Oxford, selling Carter’s Ice Cream from a mobile van at weekends.

He worked for the university for 22 years before retiring in 1987.

His wife died in 1972 and he married his second wife, Pat Turner, a widow, in December 1973.

She had four children from a previous marriage – Edward, Penny and twins Claire and Richard. Fred and Pat had 30 years together in Yarnton before she died in 2003.

A keen bowler and Oxford United FC follower all his life, Mr Honey enjoyed bowls all year round, playing outdoors at the Begbroke, Summertown and Kidlington clubs and indoors at Isis and Oxford City and County.

He celebrated his 90th birthday with around 80 guests at City and County in Marston Ferry Road in February, 2012.

He played the game to a high level, travelling around the country to represent the Oxfordshire Vice Presidents’ Association on many occasions. He became the first player to be presented with life membership in 2012 in recognition of his long service.

Mr Honey was a member of the Kidlington Probus social group and a life member of the Caravan Club.

He died on December 20 and is survived by his son, four step-children and 11 grandchildren.

Family and friends from as far afield as the USA were present at his funeral at Oxford Crematorium last Friday.